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Saturday, January 29, 2011

Negotiation Skills


Introduction

Negotiation is a process in which two or more parties try to resolve differences, solve problems and reach agreement.
Good negotiation meets at as many interests as possible with an agreement that is durable.

Negotiating Methods

Compromise: means to settle differences through concessions made by one or both parties.
Collaboration: involves people cooperating to produce a solution satisfactory to both parties.
Competition: often leads to one party gaining advantage over the other, if it can negotiate at the expense of the other’s needs.
Accommodation: means that only one party is willing to oblige or adapt to meet the needs of the other.
Withdrawal (avoidance): is a negotiation method that makes both parties lose, because one party retracts their point of view or backs away form the situation.
Negotiation Strategies
Win-win strategies:
Both parties are satisfied with the settlement negotiated.
Win-lose strategies:
Result in the party who initiates the conflict being satisfied and the other dissatisfied.
Lose-win strategies:
A situation in which the initiator is dissatisfied and the other is satisfied.
Lose-lose strategies:
Result form a situation in which the objectives of both parties are too rigid, and  both parties are dissatisfied.

Personal Styles In Negotiation

Self-denying:
• People difficult to negotiate, are introverted and reticent with information (feedback), hide their feelings.
Self-protecting:
• People use divisionary tactics, discussing other people or side tracking to other issues hide their true Feelings.
Self-exposing:
• People wish to be centre of attention, demand this attention by speaking loudly, speak over other use attention-seeking body movement or by ignoring feedback and other’s view.
Self-bargaining:
• People show feeling if you show yours. wait until you lead them in negotiation open up when others initiate the process.
Self-actualizing:
• People ideal negotiators , want information and feedback from others, present information constructively to aid the negotiation process, achieve goal without conflict.

Power in Negotiation

When an organization delegates people to get the job done, it gives them power to act. Power may be used to influence and, in some cases, to control people.
• It can also be used to bring about change. Power can be exerted over one person or a group by another person or group.
• Power used well achieves good communication and results.
• Each person has and can enjoy power.
• Observe how you use power.
• If you use it properly, you will make an impact on workplace decisions and actions. Abuse or misuse it and people will mistrust you.
• Power is a useful tool in the negotiation process; however, if you misuse it or refuse to use it correctly, the likely result is tension and conflict.

Five Types of Workplace Power

Legitimate power: bases on a persons position or role in an organization. their authority and control over resources gives them power that is acknowledged.
Expertise power: people with more skill and strength than others have to them; their colleagues refer to them.
Reward power: is exerted by someone who has control over resource desire by others. Such as person can influence and manipulate behavior.
Coercive power: is exerted by those who use their authority or any force, emotional or physical, against the interest of the other party.
Consultative power: is exerted by someone who seeks information, considers other’s advice and make plans with others

Negotiating The Job Offer

l      Prepare carefully: gather information from alumni, friends.
l      Know specific data: collect reliable information about the range of salaries.
l      Organize negotiation plan into four parts:
l      Compensation issues as cash and fringe benefits.
l      Position within the company.
l      Environment of the company.
l      Beginning and ending of work benefits.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Strategies for successful speaking and listening


Introduction

The reading introduces you to successful strategies needed to be effective in oral communication:
Strategies for improving oral presentations
Strategies for reducing stage fright
Strategies for improving listening

Strategies for improving oral presentations

Steps for preparing effective oral presentations
Kinds of oral presentations
Ways of delivering the oral message
Strategies for an effective oral delivery
Strategies for an effective nonverbal delivery
Steps for preparing effective oral presentations

  1. Determine the purpose.
        To inform, persuade, motivate, or entertain.
  1. Analyze the audience and occasion.
        Group size, age range, interests, goals, etc.
  1. Select the main ideas for the message.
        Selecting core ideas then gathering support information.
  1. Research the topic.
  2. Organize the data and write the draft.
        Introduction, Body, and Summary.
  1. Create visual aids.
        Add to understanding and support of your message.
  1. Rehearse the talk.
        You will be comfortable, revising, and perfection.
Kinds of oral presentations

         Short talks
        From 1 to 10 minutes
        Introducing someone
        Presenting award
        Representing company, etc.
         Longer statements
        10 minutes to 1 hour
        Lectures, formal presentation, and meetings etc.
        Longer the presentation greater the risk of losing audience’s attention.
Ways of delivering the oral message

  1. Extemporaneous
  2. Reading
  3. Memorization
  4. Impromptu

Strategies for an effective oral delivery

Varying pitch, rate, and volume gives more interests and appeal to the presentation.
         Pitch: Highness or lowness of your voice.
        Monotone: A speaker with no variation in pitch.
        High or Low voice:
        Same word value: Raising voice, or focusing.
         Rate: The numbers of words per minutes.
         Volume: Assure hearing.
         Vocal quality: Each has different. Relax your throat.
         Pronunciation: Jargon, varied accent, or sounds.
To improve pronunciation listen educated and cultured people, and consult a recent dictionary.

Strategies for an effective nonverbal delivery

         Posture: Your standing, sitting, etc.
         Movement: Move for the following reasons:
        To hold attention.
        To get rid of nervousness.
        To suggest transition.
        To increase emphasis.
         Gestures: Any movement of hands, arms, shoulders are termed gestures.
         Facial Expressions: Interest, happy, or worry.
         Appearance: Dressing… Formal or casual???

Strategies for reducing stage fright

I would not want even an enemy to suffer those terrible moments.”
“This is a wonderful thing…once the speech is over.”
Being at ease, or simply giving an expression of being at ease, is difficult for most of people.
         Signs of discomfort
         Strategies for decreasing speaking fears

Signs of discomfort

         Increased heart rate,
         Blood pressure,
         Body temperature,
         And dry mouth
Look carefully at each: all are internal, none are visible to audience.
Your may be aware of these things but not the audience.
So if you know your weaknesses, only you can overcome.

Strategies for decreasing speaking fears

The stage fright is universal. Following suggestions help to decrease the intensity:
  1. Know your subject well.
  2. Rehearse your talk several times.
  3. Request--- in advance for a lectern (dice).
  4. Pre-check any equipment like projector etc.
  5. Take an object with you like a pen, pointer.
  6. Breath deeply and slowly before speaking.
  7. Mover during the speech.
  8. Approach the lectern with assurance & enthusiasm.

Strategies for improving listening skills

Listening is the neglected study in school & colleges. But managers from around the world consider it a significant part of  one’s communication skills.
Listening is as important as speaking, reading, and writing.
         Faults in listening
         Purposes for listening
         Results of good listening
Faults in listening
         Prejudice against the speaker: Conflicts.
         External distractions: Noisy fan, poor lights.
         Thinking speed: 800 wpm.
         Premature evaluation: Straightforward.
         Semantic stereotypes: Meanings
         Delivery: Monotype tends to sleeping.

Purposes for listening

It should be no surprise that poor listening is not entirely the fault of the speaker.
Why listen???
  1. To gain new information and ideas.
  2. To question and test evidence and assumptions.
  3. To be inspired.
  4. To improve your own communication.

Results of good listening

         Leads to helpful, positive attitude.
         Improves communication.
         A feedback to the speaker by listener interest.
         Helps listeners to obtain useful information.
         Creates better understandings of others.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Seven C's of Effective Communication

The ability to communicate effectively with others is considered a prized quality of the successful business people. To communicate easily and effectively with your readers, you should apply the Seven ‘C’ principles:

1. Completeness               5. Clarity
2. Conciseness                  6. Courtesy
3. Consideration               7. Correctness
4. Concreteness

C1 => Completeness

Provide all necessary information.
Answer all questions asked.
Give something extra, when desirable.

Provide all necessary information

Your reader needs to know how much, what size, what type, and other details. To achieve this clarity, your message should answer the “five Ws and one H”
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
How?

Answer all questions asked

Replying to an inquiry or request, answer all questions asked, and even anticipate the reader’s reaction by providing other relevant information.
Look for questions: some may even appear buried within a paragraph.
Open Questions
Closed Questions
Give something extra, when desirable.

Sometimes, as an intelligent writer, you know what your reader may need to know about any certain thing. In this case you must include anything that is of your reader’s benefit.
Use your good judgment while offering additional material.
What type of leave you availed?
Casual
C2 => Conciseness

Eliminate wordy expressions.
Include only relevant material.
Avoid unnecessary repetition.
Eliminate wordy expressions
To avoid wordy expressions, use single words whenever possible. Here are some examples of how word economy saves the reader’s time and effort.
• Wordy: I want to take this opportunity to tell you that we are grateful to you
• Concise: Thank you
• Wordy: We are grateful and appreciative
• Concise: We look forward with anticipation to…
• Wordy: At this time.
• Concise: Now… 
Include only relevant material
Your reader will lose interest in your message if he/she finds irrelevant things in your message. Using only well-chosen words can help you convey relevant facts.
Avoid, information obvious to the reader.
Avoid long introduction, excessive adjectives, pompous works.
Course Introduction must not include Instructor Introduction.
Avoid unnecessary repetition
Avoid repetition by using pronouns, short names or acronyms, etc.
Stick to the purpose of the message.
Writing concisely means using only necessary, meaningful words.
Use NIC instead of whole detail…
I like Aslam. He is my best friend.
Unnecessary repletion leads to “DULLNESS”

C3 => Consideration

Focus on “You” instead of “I” or “We”.
Show audience benefit or interest in the receiver.
Emphasize positive, pleasant fact.
Focus on “You” instead of “I” or “We”
For writing considerate message, think how your reader will benefit from your messages. For example.
• ‘I’ or ‘We’ attitude: we are delighted to announce…..
• ‘You’ attitude: you will be pleased to know…….
Insensitive: You failed to enclose your check in the envelop.
Consideration: The check was not enclosed.

But in Groups and Teams… Take care.
Show audience benefit or interest
Your reader is likely to response positively when you show them benefits. Even in conveying unfavorable message to your reader, you can plan it in a way the reader finds some benefit in it.
WIIFM
“What's In It for Me”
A sprite
A burger
Emphasize positive, pleasant fact
Another way to show ‘you attitude’ for your reader is to present facts in a positive, pleasant way.
You are wearing a good dress.
You have obliged us many times.
Etc….
Negative: It is impossible to open an account for you today.
Positive: As soon as your signature card reaches us, we will gladly open your account.
C4 => Concreteness
Use specific facts and figures.
Put actions into verbs.
Choose vivid, image-building words.
Use specific facts and figures
Always use specific facts and figures in your messages. For example:
Vague: Please send us the following items by the end of this month.
Clear: The following items should reach us on or before 21 August.
Vague: She is a brain.
Clear: She secured 95% marks.
Put actions into verbs
Active verbs make writing forceful and more interesting to read or hear.
Passive: The proposal was approved.
Active: The general manager approved the proposal.
Passive: The tests were administered by the professors.
Active: Professors administered the tests.
Choose vivid, image-building words
Business writing uses less figurative language than does the world of fiction.

Sensory Appeal: It can appeal to one or more of the five senses…e.g.:
Bland: Secretary was tired after working before computer whole the day.
Vivid: The secretary’s face was wrinkled after working before computer the entire day.
Comparison: It can make an unclear idea clear…e.g.:
Bland: This is a long report.
Vivid: This letter is three times as long as you said it would be.
Bland: Student MCS scores are higher.
Vivid: In 1996 the MCS scores averaged 600; by 1997 they had risen to 610.
Figurative: It can make an idea vivid…e.g.:
Bland: Her work in group was exemplary.
Vivid: She was sparking plug of the group.

C5 => Clarity

Choose precise, concrete, and familiar words.
Construct effective sentences and paragraph.
Choose precise, concrete, and familiar words
Complex                                                 
  1. At a later date
  2. Statement of pay
  3. At the present
  4. Subsequent
  5. Remuneration
Simple
  1. Later
  2. Payroll
  3. Now
  4. After
  5. Pay
Construct effective sentences and paragraph

At the core of clarity is the sentence. A sentence moves thought clearly within a paragraph. Important characteristics are as follows:

        Length (of a sentence 17 to 20 words)
        Unity (One Main Idea)
        Coherence (Correct arrangement to express intending meaning)
Coherence
Vague: Being the chief executive, we can expect help from you.
Clear: Being the chief executive, you can surely help us.
Emphasis
Little Emphasis: The order was received and the manager started preparing for it.
Better Emphasis: As the letter was received, the manager started preparing for it.
Little Emphasis: Its better for you to do it.
Better Emphasis: Your must do it.
Best emphasis on paragraph is formatting, tabs, alignments and, proper headings etc.
C6 => Courtesy

Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative.
Use expressions that show respect.
Choose nondiscriminatory expressions.

Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative

Sometimes you have to deal with unpleasant messages. Always remember that by using tact and being thoughtful you can convey anything, however unpleasant it may be, to your readers.
        Blunt: We have believed that the extent of your current obligations makes you a bad credit risk.
        Tactful: Our credit department believes that, because of your current obligations additional credit might be difficult for you to handle at this time.
        Blunt: I rewrote letter three times then point was clear.
        Tactful: I am sorry the point was not clear; here is another version.

Use expressions that show respect

Expressions like, ‘irresponsible’ or ‘I do not agree with’ etc., are annoying. Use expressions that show respect for your reader and help him think positively about your message.

Choose nondiscriminatory expressions

Courtesy also requires use of nondiscriminatory expressions that refer to any particular, gender, and race, ethnic. Origin, etc. For Example:
     Chairman               Chairperson
     Manpower              Worker
     Salesman                Sales Agent

C7 => Correctness

Use the right level of language.
Check accuracy of figures, facts, and words.
Maintain acceptable writing mechanics.


Use the right level of language

There are two types of writings: formal and informal. In formal writing, our style is un-conversational. In informal writing, we use words that are short, familiar and conversational.
A formal style is characterized by more complex sentences.
An informal style is characterized by Short words and sentences (Thanks a lot for your letter).
Contraction & Abbreviations (I haven’t, there’s) simple words.

Check accuracy of figures, facts, and words

Any mistakes in names, figures, facts, etc, can make your message unclear. Such mistakes can also create problems for you. Imagine if you write 2000 where you were supposed to write 200.
Mistakes in punctuation and capitalization must be avoided.
So be careful to:
Verify your statistical data.
Double-check your totals.
Avoid guessing at laws that have an Impact on you and your receiver.

Maintain acceptable writing mechanics

At the core of correctness is proper
        • Grammar
        • Punctuation
        • Spelling
Use word processors, Like MS Word.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Components of Communication


Context
Culture and conventions?
Reasons and objectives
Sender-Encoder
Recognizing internal attitude.
Realizing words before saying.
Message
Clear central purpose.
Verbal and Nonverbal.
Medium
Oral Or Written.
Electronics.
Receiver-Decoder
Be aware of the attitudes and perceptions of your receiver.
Consider physical, emotional, or cultural factors that may affect your message.
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